Creating a home that stands the test of time

ABODE MAGAZINE – Featured Article, September/October 2022

Words: Kathy Catton Photography: Andrew O’Sullivan

https://www.abodemagazine.co.nz/home/2022/8/31/timeless-classic

This home of beauty and grandeur stands proud and tall, thanks to the work of Radius Building and Boyd Chamberlain Architecture.

Timeless design, built for generations.

Architectural styles have evolved for centuries to accommodate changes in lifestyle, fashion, and the environment. A home that can hold its style for several decades has, for some, a certain appeal over the fads of modern design, which may date with the passing of the years. From the classic villa with its bay windows and front veranda to the more abstract, contemporary forms, we can see examples of all styles of homes in and around Ōtautahi.

This home in Prebbleton is one such example of a timeless classic. Set on 5,000 square metres, the land alone has an expansiveness to it, so the style and grandeur of this residence is the perfect abode for such a site. Homeowners Martin and Michelle were originally looking to alter their existing home in Rolleston, but soon realised that no matter what was thrown at it, the renovation and expansion option was not going to meet the family’s needs for the future.

“Sometimes you find the conceptual design process a useful tool to aid with defining the true future needs,” says Boyd Chamberlain, who was initially commissioned by Martin and Michelle to evaluate their existing dwelling. When Boyd received the call from Martin and Michelle a few months later to say they had purchased land in Prebbleton, the opportunity presented itself to revisit the brief, and this time, to start from scratch.

With two fast-growing teenagers, the couple was looking for a home with more space and an ability to entertain family and friends for many years to come. Their brief was detailed yet straightforward all the same: four bedrooms, an open plan kitchen leading to dining and living areas with connection to the outdoors.

“It was also important for us to have two separate living spaces,” says Michelle. “One to entertain our noisy teenage boys and one that we now call the whiskey room – a place where we can retreat. We don’t drink whiskey, but it has that traditional feel to the space that we love.”

Boyd and the homeowners explored the options of single storey and two storeys and settled on an elegant, sophisticated, two-storey design that embodies all the family’s needs and wants for their home.

“We prefer the more traditional design rather than the modern interpretations,” says Martin. “And Boyd was able to visualise our dream home very easily.”

Although the home is bigger than the couple intended, they were instantly delighted with Boyd’s interpretations and concept drawings.

Early in the design process, Boyd recommended and encouraged Martin and Michelle to adopt some energy-efficient methods and materials for construction. These included an insulated slab and foundation edge, larger wall stud framing than the standard requirement and higher levels of insulation in all the walls, ceiling and roof cavities.

“This has made for an incredibly warm, energy-efficient home,” says Boyd. “It also fits with our values and ideologies as an architectural design company.”

Being a family home, low maintenance and durability were also big considerations when deciding on the materials of the build. “Aesthetically, the use of a wider cedar weatherboard profile and facing was used to maintain proportion and scale with the overall height of the build,” says Boyd. “And the simple lines this created gave the building an overall more sophisticated look for the scale of the building.”

Boyd prides himself on the extremely high-quality architectural documentation that he produces for every build he designs. This then serves the builder and homeowner well, so that everyone can smoothly and efficiently construct their dream home.

The team at Radius Building has been crafting homes since 2006, and company director and project manager Richard Fantham has worked together with Boyd on several previous projects. It was Boyd who recommended Richard to Martin and Michelle, as their builder.

On initial meeting with Richard from Radius, the homeowners knew straight away that he would be the man for the job. “Richard, Garry the foreman, and all the team were brilliant from start to finish,” says Michelle, highlighting that even despite a COVID lockdown, Richard was working through pricing and liaising with them to move the project forwards.

“There was a great deal of uncertainty at the start of this build, given the timing with the pandemic,” says Richard. “We didn’t know what was happening with the economy or the building industry, and I knew this wasn’t going to be a standard house build.”

But despite this uncertainty, Richard provided a steady head and clear thinking.